Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Research and teaching on infection and immunity at mucosal surfaces, vaccine development, immune regulation in the context of tumors and chronic inflammation, as well as cellular aging and protein quality control are conducted at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Research is focused on infection and immunity at mucosal surfaces, including studies on bacterial and viral pathogens that infect the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, as well as immune regulation in chronic inflammation and in the setting of tumors and cancer. Research programs include:
- Pathogenesis of infections caused by Vibrio cholera, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella, and Influenza virus
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Regulation of immune responses at mucosal surfaces, intestinal tumors and colorectal cancers
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Development of adjuvants to modulate immunity versus tolerance at mucosal surfaces
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Evaluation of immune responses and development of vaccines to Vibrio cholera, ETEC, Influenza and SARS-COV-2
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Mechanisms underlying inflammatory bowel diseases, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes
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The role of innate-like T lymphocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages in immunity, tolerance and disease
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Cellular aging and protein quality control
The department carries out both preclinical and clinical studies and has many ongoing international collaborations with researchers in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Research projects are funded by national and international foundations including the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Foundation, the Wallenberg Foundation, the European Union, Vinnova, PATH and the Gates Foundation. Projects use state of the art technology in flow cytometry, cell sorting, fluorescence microscopy, gene expression and whole genome- and single cell sequencing.
Research groups at the department
Davide Angeletti
B cell and antibody immunodominance in antiviral immune response
Carolina Guibentif
Mammalian developmental hematopoiesis and leukemia
Ali Harandi
Understanding the mechanisms of action of human vaccines
Jan Holmgren
Development of DuoChol, a low-cost, thermostable oral cholera vaccine
Pekka Jaako
Protein synthesis control in hematopoiesis and leukemia
Anna Martner
The NOX2 enzyme in myeloid leukemia and solid tumours
Thomas Nyström
Cellular aging and protein quality control
Marianne Quiding-Järbrink
T cell immunity in intestinal tumors
Sukanya Raghavan
Identification of biomarkers of clinical response to PD-1 blockade in lung cancer patients
Annetta Svitorka Härtlova
Molecular mechanisms of innate immune signalling
Manuela Terrinoni
Vaccine development against important bacterial pathogens
Astrid von Mentzer
Microbial genomics meets functional microbiology
Ulf Yrlid
Improvements of immune responses against colorectal cancers and enterotoxins
Lena Öhman
Gut microbiota, immune profile and the link to gastrointestinal diseases